Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefits

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) provides monthly payments to people who contribute to the plan during their working years.

You may be eligible for CPP disability benefits if:

you contributed to the CPP for a certain number of years

you're under 65 years old

you have a severe and prolonged mental or physical disability

your disability prevents you from working on a regular basis

The benefits include payments to children of a person with a disability.

Apply as early as possible if you think you're eligible for CPP disability benefits. Quebec residents may be eligible for a similar program called the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). It may take several months to process your application.

If you applied for CPP or QPP disability benefits and were told that you're not eligible, you can ask to have your application reviewed or considered again.

Disability benefits for veterans

In some cases, you may get a lump-sum payment. Consider talking to a financial advisor to help you decide how to manage the money. You may be eligible for money to cover the cost of the financial advisor’s fees.

Insurance benefits

Disability insurance benefits

Disability insurance can help you with expenses if you have an unexpected illness or accident that leaves you unable to work and earn an income. Generally, disability insurance provides payments to replace part of your regular income if you:

temporarily can’t work because of injury or illness

are permanently disabled due to an injury or illness

You'll get the insurance benefits for a specified amount of time. You may get disability insurance from your employer or pay for an insurance policy yourself. If you bought your own disability insurance policy, make sure you understand your policy. Ask your insurance company how to make a claim.